International Women’s Day is an opportunity for introspection. Not only to celebrate women’s achievements (although that too) but also to reflect on the unique challenges women face. And see how we can do more to help.
That’s something we take extremely seriously – not just on International Women’s Day but always.
We care profoundly about equal empowerment because we understand the extraordinary value of finding your work tribe. Feeling accepted, respected, supported, and empowered as you. No matter your gender, or anything else.
That belief is part of our DNA. It’s why we build the products we build, because the right tech is a springboard for better for everyone – lifting people into roles where they thrive.
We know we can’t deliver on that for our clients without delivering internally first, creating a space where everyone can bring their best and full selves to work. That’s why our philosophy has always been ‘people first, product second, profit third’.
Like many tech companies, we know we need to do better at achieving representation. Especially in our leadership team. There’s no overnight solution or easy answers, but we care deeply about building a team that represents our clients – so you can build teams that represent yours.
More than that though, we care deeply about building an inclusive culture where everyone’s voice is heard and where everyone flourishes. And building a product that’s a reflection of everyone’s value and everyone’s voices.
That’s something we think we do well. But we’ll never rest on our laurels.
On the journey to increasing women in tech leadership
Progressing more women into leadership roles is a big priority for us. Again, we know there are no simple answers, but we’re invested in change.
We’re committed to identifying and dismantling the unique challenges different people face in building careers they love (both inside Tribepad and helping our clients do the same).
As part of that, we’ve recently invested into the Talented Women programme, which is a two-day course focussed on helping women overcome self-limiting beliefs and fulfil their potential as leaders. Almost every woman within Tribepad chose to take the course and we’ve had some incredible feedback.
Talented Women is the best course I’ve taken in my career.
I realised I’ve not been great at putting my ideas forwards, for example. Part of my new role as Product Manager means stepping up and being willing to share my voice, which I’ve always struggled with. The people around me have been so supportive and respectful.
We also recognise how crucial line manager relationships are, to giving women opportunities and support to grow. Everyone in a leadership position in Tribepad knows their first responsibility is to their people – people first.
Outside perspectives to help us grow
Since last year we’ve been working with an external HR consultant – Helen Roberts – who’s been holding a mirror to our culture for us, so we can improve.
Engagement surveys can be a useful diagnostic tool but we wanted to take a richer, deeper, more personal approach. Helen has been leading focus groups including every person from Tribepad, to give everyone a voice as our story continues to unfold.
Alongside Helen, we’re also working with an ED&I leadership consultancy to help us build more inclusive talent strategies. They’re helping us review our structures, processes, policies, and products to make sure we champion inclusivity in everything we do.
There’s a lot of change happening at Tribepad right now and we’re taking an explorative approach; learning as we go. But we’re committed to the journey – and we know we don’t know everything.
Hybrid work that works for everyone
There’s lots of debate right now about the remote work, back-to-office dilemma. We’ve been listening to our people throughout the pandemic, and we’ve heard loud and clear that hybrid working works best. Right now, we actively encourage both remote and office work: whatever’s right for each person.
It’s a hard challenge to get right – we know some people want to work exclusively from home, but others have missed working with their colleagues. We’re learning as we go and we’ve no doubt we’ll make mistakes, but we’re committed to listening and growing.
We also know from an inclusion perspective, the flexibility of remote working can make navigating different family dynamics much easier. We’ve always championed part-time roles and flexible hours where needed but hopefully this en-masse embrace of flexible working creates a more inclusive environment for everyone.
I joined Tribepad after a long career break for my kids. Obviously now, since the pandemic, everyone is working from home and flexibility is much more common. But back then, it wasn’t like that. Tribepad had a real ingrained flexibility. Leadership was very accommodating; the role was a very gentle ease back into the working environment. And even though I’d been away from the office environment for a few years, everyone at Tribepad treated me based on my qualifications and experience. I felt like an equal.
Building a people-first culture
Starting as a seedling idea in Dean’s [Dean Sadler, CEO and Co-founder] living room, Tribepad is privileged today to have 25-million users across the world. Despite our growth, we’ve been lucky enough always to have a strong people-first culture – led by Dean, who’s passionately involved with Tribepad day-to-day.
Dean founded Tribepad as an antidote to Big Corporate Tech, and many of our team joined us from much larger companies because they wanted a different approach. They wanted to be part of a community where everyone’s input matters, and where they can have an impact every day.
We see social media comments from delighted jobseekers talking about their new role, and snippets of amazing client feedback, and comments from our team telling us they’re thrilled and inspired to be here – and we know we’ve achieved that.
That’s not saying we don’t have more to do, but we’re proud of the community we’ve built. That community has helped us build a product that’s changed, and is changing, lives.
I’d know it was the right time to move on from Tribepad if I ever felt like a number. Eight years in, I haven’t yet. I believe everyone should feel they’re equally important, because we can’t do what we do without them. That translates back into how we show up for customers. It’s the core of who Tribepad are.
A responsibility and a privilege.
The right job is life-changing: that’s our core belief. We know what a huge responsibility that means we have, to our own people and to yours. And a privilege, too.
We’re not perfect. We know we face our own challenges, especially around increasing representation at senior leadership level. But we are showing up every day and fighting to make things better – for women and for everyone. That’s what it’s all about, right?
‘People first’ is the core of Tribepad. We know we can’t deliver amazing products that empower you to put people first unless we put our people first too. We’re on a mission to create better experiences for everyone. Chat to us?
